Japan FY 2018 Budget Enacted with Government Mired in Scandal (News)

Tokyo, March 28 (Jiji Press)—The Diet, Japan's parliament, enacted the government's ¥97,712.8-billion budget for fiscal 2018 on Wednesday, at a time when the opposition camp continues to grill the administration of Prime Minister Abe Shinzō over a high-profile cronyism scandal.

The fiscal 2018 budget, with spending set to hit a record high for the sixth straight year, was approved by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet. It cleared the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, on February 28.

The annual budget will finance measures for a "revolution in human resources development," one of the Abe administration's key policy themes, including through the reduction of waiting lists for nursery school admission and the expansion of free-of-charge education.

The budget also includes funds for introducing the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system and long-range cruise missiles.

Following the budget's enactment, the Liberal Democratic Party-Kōmeitō ruling coalition will focus on planned work style reform legislation, a special priority for the prime minister in the ongoing ordinary Diet session, scheduled to end on June 20.